Just in case you've been living under a rock and have somehow missed this fabulous news, scientists and nutritionists have now decided chocolate is GOOD for you. I'm still waiting for the study that demonstrates women with cellulite live longer or purchasing expensive handbags reduces acid reflux, but in the meantime I'll take the chocolate vote of confidence.

Just an ounce or two of plain, dark chocolate can help prevent cancer or heart disease- and a whole new category of wellness chocolates with additional ingredients promises to do everything from improving your skin tone to extending your life.

Given the amount of hard evidence supporting the benefits of chocolate, it's not surprising that products are springing up around the globe to capitalize on a. the trend and b. our cravings. But these aren't simply bon-bons to be eaten in bed with your hair up in curlers while you catch up on Sudoku. Oh no, these are "wellness chocolates." I managed to pick up a few of them in my local supermarket, and where possible, I've included tasting notes, well...because it's "research" right? Also, just so you know, I thought it best to "cleanse my palate" between each taste with a swig of Malbec, because...well, I could use the extra flavanols.

I decide to start with a "control" bar of dark chocolate just so I had some reference. Dagoba Chocolate isn't a wellness product, but the chocolate is completely organic and the company honors its own "Full Circle Sustainability" principles of quality, ecology, equity and community. So even if it doesn't have any additional health benefits, I feel better about myself just by eating it. Plus it's kosher, so my mother feels better about me eating it too. A 2-ounce bar is about $2.69.

Tasting notes: Ooh smells like chocolate. Always a good start. Because of its high cocoa content the Eclipse is a very "dry" bar with pronounced cocoa flavor. The real flavor doesn't come out until you start chewing, which reveals fruity tones and a toasty finish. Maybe I'm not supposed to chew? I dunno. Too impatient to just let it melt. Anyway, a very strong, bitter chocolate. But in a good way.

Billed as "heart healthy snacks", CocoaVia bars are made by the same company responsible for such nutritious products as Skittles and Twix - in other words, Mars. CocoaVia is made using Mars' proprietary "Cocoapro" process designed to retain higher levels of anti-oxidants. The bars also contain vitamins A, C, B6 and B12, folic acid, and additional calcium. The CocoaVia range is extensive, with not only chocolate bars, but snack bars, crispy bars, chocolate covered almonds, a beverage and even milk chocolate bars. A box of five one-ounce bars is about $5.00.

Tasting notes: Not as pronounced chocolate aroma, compared to Dagoba. Nice glossy color. Much softer in texture than Dagoba with a smoother mouth feel. But I'll be honest. It tastes a little fake, with very little complexity and obvious "sugar." It beats the heck out of a Centrum, but contains nowhere near the vitamins you get from an actual vitamin.

I've been happily masticating Viactiv calcium chews for the last few years, but this is going to change immediately. Adora calcium supplements are foil-wrapped disks of chocolate with the exact same amount of calcium (500g) and vitamin K and D as a Viactiv chew, but the taste and texture of honest-to-gawd chocolate. Adora is made by Thompson Brands, who've been making chocolate products for over 100 years - primarily those jaunty little foil-wrapped coins, Santas and bunnies. Of course Adora is a little pricey - your daily 3-disk dose will cost you about $1.25, but it's available in larger 30-disk bags for about $7 a bag. Anyway, I'm worth it.

Tasting notes: Nice chocolate aroma. Smooth texture and good dark chocolate flavor. No complexity but much better than CocoVia. I also subjected my boyfriend to some of these tastings without telling him anything about the products, and he definitely preferred Adora to CocoaVia based on taste alone.

Women's Wonder: Well, the deal breaker for me is the rose essential oil. I don't mind that flavor in Turkish Delight, but it doesn't work for me with chocolate. At all.

Beautiful Bones: This one has an orange flavor. Chocolate and orange is nice together. I suppose.

Instant Bliss: According to the label, this one contains some blueberries, but all I really taste is a slight "malty" tone. Not unpleasant.

The Bottom Line?

Yes, chocolate has some wonderful healthy properties. Does adding a few vitamins here and there make it extra healthy? I suppose to an extent. But for my money, I'd rather eat damn fine chocolate and then take a vitamin for whatever else I need. The only product that seems to offer a significant benefit is Adora, delivering precisely the amount of calcium I need in the tastiest package ever.